Rail freight operator DB Cargo UK and steel and mining company ArcelorMittal has launched a trial service moving steel coil by rail from the Port of Boston to Wolverhampton.

The trial train transported 20 loaded BYA type wagons of steel coil, weighing 1,300 tonnes, from the Port of Boston on the east coast of England to DB Cargo’s site in Wolverhampton. The final miles of the delivery will be via road to a number of manufacturers in the West Midlands.

The service will operate weekly once the trial is complete and is part of significant investment that DB Cargo UK has made into facilities at its Wolverhampton site, including the development of a new logistics centre, which set to open in July 2018.

The current facility at Wolverhampton has the capability of storing and handling 1,380 steel coils but this will increase by 1,944 coils when the new centre opens, giving a total capacity of 3,325 coils, equivalent to 40,000 tonnes of steel.

Roger Neary, Head of Logistics Sales at DB Cargo UK, said: “We are thrilled to have launched the first trial train with ArcelorMittal, which is all part of our exciting plans for future development at Wolverhampton.

"When we open the Wolverhampton Logistics Centre in 2018 we plan to increase this service from one train to three or four trains per week. Such services support the British manufacturing industry by delivering steel to companies across the West Midlands that produce products such as white goods, heaters and cars."

He added: "Using rail also significantly reduces congestion on the roads, as each train can carry as much material as around 76 HGVs. We are really proud of the trial and look forward to working with ArcelorMittal to progress the service further.”